County prepares to select regional landfill operator

ASHEBORO — County residents will learn in December the name of a company officials will recommend to run the regional landfill off Henley Country Road.

County manager Richard Wells told Randolph County commissioners Monday about the proposed timeline during the board’s discussion of a basic ordinance establishing procedures for the application and issuance of franchises for solid waste facilities.

Wells told the board there is no state law mandating the creation of a solid waste franchise ordinance. He said doing so creates a simple but thorough process consistent with state statutes by which an operator for the landfill would be approved in Randolph County.

The ordinance would require the operator to:

* Provide the company’s qualifications to operate a sanitary landfill or other type of solid waste facility, including information concerning the applicant’s legal and financial status; the applicant’s character, experience and business reputation; technical expertise; and any other information relevant to the applicant’s qualifications. The county would reserve the right to seek additional information that, in its discretion, is necessary to determine the applicant’s qualifications.

* Provide a statement of the population to be served, including a description of the geographic area.

* Provide a description of the volume and characteristics of the waste stream entering the solid waste facility, including all recovered and recyclable materials and any recycled products or other waste shipped from the facility.

* Provide a projection on the useful life of the landfill.

* Give description of the means and routes of transportation for each part of the waste stream.

* Give a demonstration of the franchise applicant’s qualifications and experience and financial assurances.

The new ordinance also lays out the powers and rights reserved to the county for suspension or termination of the operator. These powers would be independent of any rights to be included in an operating agreement and would be exercised if the operator is sold or control is transferred to another person or entity, or if the franchisee fails to remedy health or safety violations or breaches other contracts with the county.

According to Wells, five companies are under consideration to run the landfill. He said he expects proposals from those companies to be submitted for review next week. Wells said the top five waste management companies in the country are submitting proposals.

Wells said the landfill committee will review those proposals and try to bring the best one to commissioners in December.

Once the board has approved a contractor to operate the landfill, Wells said the next two months will be spent developing a contract based on the county’s new solid waste franchise ordinance. He said the goal is to be able to hold a public hearing on the selection of the landfill operator in February or March.